Honor et Virtus

Chapter Three: Farewell Cognac

12th of March 1504 - Château de Cognac, Cognac

Staring out of the window and into the gardens, Filiberta could not hide the small smile that formed on her face at watching her husband interact with her niece and nephew. 

It was a sight to behold indeed, one that she hoped would be replicated in the future when they had children of their own. 

Her sister had pressed upon her the need for her to produce an heir for her husband, the Medici line was running rather thin and Giuliano was seen as one of the last hopes to produce more Medici heirs. 

"I had hoped to find you here," said a voice from behind Filiberta, one that made her blood run cold and she wished that she could mistake that voice. 

Turning to face him, Filiberta couldn't help but feel furious that he was putting her in such a position; surely, he understand when she had told him that they could not met again. 

"What are you doing?" Filiberta asked glancing around the room, her ladies nowhere in sight and she prayed that no one would discover them. 

Alone with a man that was not her husband would spell no amount of trouble for her, Louise had cautioned her that nothing could endanger their alliance with the Medici for her son's sake if nothing more. 

"You were so cold to me in the gardens that day, I had to speak to you privately," Cristoforo stated, he moved towards her knowing that no one could interrupt them this time. 

He had chosen his timing perfectly, so that no one could interrupt them and Filiberta would be forced to speak freely; unlike their meeting in the gardens that he admitted had been poorly planned. 

His hands reached out to take her into his arms only to have her step back away from him, fear in her eyes as she looked away from him to the door which was not far behind him. 

Filiberta shook her head, her hands clasped in front of her and she stared at the man that she once would have given anything to be with; now she had to reminded herself that she could not call herself his anymore.

"We should not do this Cristoforo, I am a married woman now. I have a duty to be loyal to my husband, to bear him children," Filiberta said in an attempt to dissuade him, she was dutybound to her husband and she would not betray him. 

The shame that would be at her door if she made a cuckold of him was not something that she could bear, she had no doubts that her family would send her to a nunnery if she shamed them. 

"And yet once not to long ago, you would have said the same about me," Cristoforo murmured, his dark eyes watching Filiberta and she quickly turned away from him before she did something that she might regret. 

Gathering her thoughts, Filiberta turned back to him and jumped slightly in surprise to find that he was even closer to her now; so close that he could almost touch her and yet he kept his hands to himself. 

"I dream of you, I dream of the life that was stolen from us... the life that I would have given you if I had been allowed to call you mine," Cristoforo whispered, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek and he watched her eyes flutter closed at his touch. 

He would have given her everything, she deserved so much better than the match that her sister had made for her; now she was forever linked to a doomed family like the Medici. 

"And yet I would have never been anything more than your mistress," Filiberta replied pulling herself from the fantasy that he had promised her, her heart ached as she looked into his eyes and she wished it was not so. 

No matter how much she wished otherwise, he would never have left the church to marry her; she would have been shamed and her children bastards that would forever be labelled as such.